Geoege mereit bennett



(No Model.) G. M. BENNETT.

JOINT FOR soHooL FURNITURE. No. 525,756. Patented Sept. 11',

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UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE MERRIT BENNETT, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO SEYMOUR YV. PEREGRINE, OF SAME PLACE.

JOINT FOR SCHOOL FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0.525,756,datedkseptember' 11', 1894.

' Application filed June 29,1893. Serial No. 479,104. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it mag/(concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MERRIT BEN- NETT, of Grand Rapids, county ofKent, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Joints for School Furniture, of which thewfollowing is aspeciication.

In the handling of wschool furniture, it is customary to ship the partsin a separated condition, and when they arrive at their destination toset them up by connecting the various parts. For this purpose diierentforms of joints have been devised for securely holding the woodenportions of the furniture to the iron castings, it being the aim in allcases to construct a joint by means of which the parts can be quicklyconnected and readily disconnected, and which when the parts areconnected will hold them securely without the risk of their becomingloose.

My present invention relates to an improved joint. embodying thesefeatures,and it consists broadly of a joint composed of a lixed and arelatively movable member, the said parts being adapted by suitablemechanism to be adjusted and expanded within the recess in the woodenportion of the desk and caused to engage firmly the sides of the recessas more fully described hereinafter.

The invention also consists in the details of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, is a section through a portionof a standard'of a school desk and vthrough the adjacent wooden portionshowing my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2, is a similar view showingparts of the joint in another position. Fig. 3 is an elevation ofthesame. Fig. 4, is a perspective view of a modification. Fig. 5 is anelevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a section through the same.

Referring to Figs. 1,'2. and 3,41 represents my improved joint whichconsists of aiixed member 2, which` is formed on the standard orotherxed portion of the desk, a'nd a'relatively movablefmember 3 in theform of av 5o form of a bolt to be adjusted with relation to the fixedmember to cause the expansion of the parts of the joint, as more fullydescribed hereinafter. The edges of these two members are adapted toenter a channel or recess 5, formed in the wooden portion 6 of the desk,which is to be connected to the standard and `adjacent to theiredgesthey are provided with shoulders 7, arranged to abut against the woodenportion 6 at the sides of the recess, as plainly shown in the drawings.The fixed member is beveled on its inner face as shown at S, and isformed with a groove 9, and below the groove with alateral flange 10.The movable member is also beveled on its inner face, and is'providedwith a. rib l1, to enter the groove -in the fixedv member, the grooveand rib thus constituting a xed ful crum on which the movable memberrocks and the edge of the plate being seated upon and guided by theflange l0 on the fixed member.

The parts of the joint are connected togethervby means of the bolt 4fbefore alluded to, which extends through the two members and is providedwith a nut which is prevented from turning by a boss l2, projectingfromthe side of the movable member.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that owing to thepeculiar formation of the inner faces ofthe two members, the movableplate will rock or tip on the rib as an axis, as Athe bolt is. screwedor unscrewed, which movement will cause its edge to` approach or'recedefrom the edge of the fixed member, according to the direction in whichthe bolt is turned, the portions beyond the axis forming jaws adapted tobe inserted, in a closed condition, intoK the groove 5 through the openside thereof, and then opened or spread apart, as represented in Fig. 2,to se cure them therein.

In practice when it is desired'to connect the standard to the woodenportion of the desk, the bolt 4 is unscrewed', which will allow thebeveled edge of the movable plate to ap-` proach the fixed member asshown at Fig. 1,

and in this position the edges are-inserted in the channel in the woodenportion of the desk. The bolt is then screwed into the nut,

which action will cause the movable plate to tip or rock and its bevelededge to move away from the edge of the fixed member, anden--s IOO gagethe wall of the recess, and on the continued movement of the'bolt, theparts of the joint will be forcibly expanded within the recess, andengaging the same will be held securely and firmly therein.

It will be observed that the edge of the fixed Ymember nearest the edgeof the wooden portion of the desk is straight, which bearing uniformlyagainstthe wall of the recess, there will Ybe little or no liability ofthe pressure splitting or fracturing the edge. It will also be observedthat in employing my improved joint it will not be necessary to form .inthe wood, dovetailed or other under-cut recesses or channels, as theparts of my joint under the inuence of the screw may be caused to engagethe straight parallel sides of the channel with such force as to preventthe removal of the same. Further it is possible under my construction totake up any looseness in the joint which might result from shrinkage orfrom other causes, by simply screwing up the bolt when occasion mayarise.

To enable the edges of the two members to hold securely within therecess, I propose to form at their outer sides, teeth or serrations asshown.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have represented a modification of my invention.In this case instead of constructing the members so that the expansionof the parts is effected by the clamping action of a screw bolt, I soarrange the members that their expansion is accomplished by sliding themovable plate longitudinally on the fixed member, the longitudinalmovement of the plate causing it to rock or tip, as in the first casementioned, on a fixed fulcrum. The meeting faces of the two members areformed at intervals with inclined surfaces 13, so that when the movableplate is slid along the fixed member, it will be caused to separatetherefrom laterally in the familiar manner of a wedge. To effect thelongitudinal movement, I provide the fixed member with guides 14, toreceive the movable plate and form on the two members lateral hinge lugsl5, arranged side by side, and provided with openings to receive a bolt16, having a nut 17, applied to its end, which is seated in a recess inthe fixed member, and prevented thereby from turning. By screwing thebolt into the nut, the two lugs will approach, thereby causing themovable plate to slide longitudinally of the xed member, and owing tothe inclined faces, the

movable plate will separate 1aterally,randA swing outwardly on the bolt16 as a fixed pivot or fulcrum.

While I have shown and described my invention as being applied to schoolfurniture, it is to be understood that it may be employed for otherpurposes and in other connections, andthat my invention is intended tocover such an application of the mechanical construction set forth,provided the operation will be substantially as hereinbefore indicated.

An essential dierence between my fastening and others heretofore devisedand used is that mine is adapted to be secured in a straightorparallel-sided groove or channel while others require a dove-tailgroove.

Another essential dilferenceis that my construction permits the twomembers to be connected together previously to insertion into the grooveand to be inserted and removed together, while in others they areinserted and withdrawn separately, the movable member acting as a key tohold the other member in place.

I am aware of Patents Nos. 237,176 and 246,670, granted to O. S.Garretson February 1, 1881, and September 6, 1881, respectively, each ofwhich shows a dove-tail groove anda fastening of the character abovereferred to. My invention differs from these in that the holding forceis exerted in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of thedesk, while in the patented constructions it is exerted in a directioninclined to the surface of the desk,that is, in a direction at rightangles to the sides of the groove or channel. There is thus a wedgingaction between the bottom and sides of the groove, with a constant tendency toV split, or tear olf, the lower surface of the desk in which thegroove is formed. In my construction this wedging or tearing action isavoided, and this forms another essential feature of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a furniture joint orfastening of the character described the combination with the fixedmember, of a movable member having a fixed, in contradistinction to amovable fnlcrum thereon ou which it is adapted to rock, both membersextending forward beyond the fulcrum to form holding jaws adapted, whenclosed together, to enter the open side of a groove or channel, andmeans for spreading and holding said jaws apart.

2. In a furniture joint of the character described the combination witha tixedmember, of the movable member having a fixed, incontradistinction to a movable, fulcrum thereon, the edges of the twomembers, beyond the fulcrum, forming jaws adapted to be opened andclosed by rocking the movable member on its fulcrum, the two jaws, whenclosed to gether, having their outer faces substantially parallel, andmeans for forcibly spreading and holding said jaws apart.

3. The combination of a desk top having in its under surface a groove orchannel, a standard or support for said top, and a movable holdingdevice having a fixed, in contradictin ction to a movable, fulcrumagainst the side of the standard near the top of the latter, the upperends of the standard and of the movable device forming jaws adapted,when closed together, to enter the groove together, and a clamping boltpassing through the lower end of the movable holding device, below thefulcrum, and through the standard; whereby the movable device is adaptedto be rocked and the jaws spread apart and fixed in holding position inthe groove.

4. In a furniture joint the combination of the fixed member having itsinner face beveled and provided with a groove, the movable member havingits inner face beveled in a direction opposite to that of the oppositemember and provided with a rib to enter the groove, the rib and grooveconstituting a fixed fulerum on which the movable member may rook, and

a device for rocking the movable member on its fulcrum; whereby thebeveled ends of the two members may be caused to approach or beseparated, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 22d day of May, 1893,in the presence of two attesting Witnesses.

GEORGE MERRIT BENNETT. Witnesses:

' CHAS. A. RENWIOK,

ERNST E. KAsPER.

